Renovations of a grand scale have begun at Mary, Queen of Peace Church in Ulysses.

Over time, the stained glass windows have suffered damage, while water has seeped beneath glass panels to create hazards within the building, and permanent damage to interior and exterior woodwork. This project is in response to rain-related flooding in the church for more than five years.

Father Jim Dieker, pastor, recently returned from immersion Spanish language training in Mexico, and is faced with the responsibility of the structural renovation of the church building, as well as the spiritual growth of its congregation.

"The spiritual nourishment and the activities that will promote the spiritual life of parishioners are of much greater concern to me," he said. [The church] is a physical, tangible expression of our struggle to live together in the love of Christ in the house we maintain together."

The project includes the removal of the existing layer of protective clear panel glass, repair of damaged stained glass panels, renovation of the wood trim between and around the stained glass panels if required, and the placement of a new layer of protection with a polycarbonate shield to preserve the stained glass.

The response from bidders was similar to that in 1963 when the church was only a blueprint. The Hutchinson News reported in their Sunday edition on Jan. 13, 1963 "‘When the bids were let last May,’ says Branson, ‘there was only one bidder.’"

In this case, with wall-to-wall windows made of stained glass undergoing renovation at the same time that the roof will be repaired, the number of qualified individuals for the job was limited.

Stan Detrixhe, owner of Detrixhe Studios in Hays, began work May 26 with a final review of the task at hand. Detrixhe is assisted by Martin Brungardt of Russell, who has been undergoing training with Detrixhe since December specifically for this project.

"I met with them [Detrixhe and Brun-gardt] and we lightly discussed the greatness of the undertaking, the first window of a seemingly billion windows," said Father Dieker. He acknowledged giving a quiet blessing in his thoughts while discussing the project with the artisans.

Detrixhe will be handling the window renovation and preservation portion of this project. He will work in conjunction with roof repairers – breaking the seal of the existing glass panels, then placing them back in their grooves and holding them in with nails until the roofers can repair and then create the appropriate seal against inclement weather. Then Detrixhe will return to the spot and correct wood issues and lay the new polycarbonate shield over the stained glass.

"This is the biggest [project] I’ve ever worked on," said Detrixhe. He has been working with stained glass as an artisan since 1983.

"Yeah, you bet it’s a challenge. Once in a lifetime situation you don’t come across all the time."

Detrixhe’s portion of the project could last until August. "You have to dedicate so much time to this," he said.

This project fell into Detrixhe’s lap in a timely manner – he had just completed a renovation project and was available to take this on. "You have to be in Ulysses the whole time," he said. Detrixhe added that he liked Ulysses, that it was a neat town and he was surprised to see the number of concrete streets.

"The roofing contractor has expressed confidence that he will be completed with his work by August," Father Dieker said. "Our hope is to be completed by the beginning of fall activities in September."

When asked about the artisan work he was preparing to assist with, Martin Brungardt replied, "It is a challenge all the time. Not much monotony."

"Most of the time your panels fit, but sometimes they don’t," he said with a shrug and a smile.

This church is unique in that it was the first built as a hyperbolic paraboloid in the United States, if not the world. The first such structure was designed and constructed at the direction of Professor Willard D. Strode and Professor Donald L. Dean of the University of Kansas, using lattice-type wood instead of concrete. Professor Strode served as an advisor on the Mary Queen of Peace structure.

The total cost of the church in 1963 was $138,056.05. The estimated cost of roof and window repair, renovation and preservation is $230,000. The responsibility of the payment of this large bill lies with the parishioners of Mary, Queen of Peace (and any willing contributors). The last extensive renovation was completed in 1990 when pastor, Father John Kowal, contracted to have protective glass panels placed above the stained glass.